Thursday, January 28, 2010

Lost Post Du Jour? Jacob Bothers Me

If you have not watched the first five seasons of Lost but don't want to be spoiled, stop reading.  And start watching!




Anyway, I watched the season finale from last May again the other night, and it is striking that Jacob was depicted so positively.  He is the victim to the man in Black's loophole scheme.  And Jacob is so angelic as he touches our favorite survivors (well, almost, back to that in a second).

BUT, if Ben has been following Jacob's orders, if Richard has passed those orders faithfully, then all of Ben's nefarious double-dealing, manipulations, and, let us not forget, mass murder via gas weapons, can be laid at the hands of Jacob. 

And, it seems to me that the way he touched Sayid seemed to, well, help get Sayid's love killed.  Jacob distracted Sayid as his love crossed the road, perhaps saving Sayid's life (the positive view) or facilitating her death and plunging him into a dark spiral and subject to Ben's manipulations.

Just because the man in black is wearing black and wants Jacob dead does not mean that Jacob is good and the man in black is evil.

Of course, Jacob could be a utilitarian, willing to do bad things for the Greater Good.  If so, then the references to folks like Bentham make sense. 

Still, what can justify mass murder?  That is, the gassing of the Dharma Initiative folks and Ben's murder of his own father, who was no Darth Vader.  A drunk?  Yes.  Lousy father? Yes.  Mass murderer?  Nope.

So, I am looking forward to the last season but with a skeptical eye--Jacob's hands are covered in blood.  Not so sure the Man in Black is as guilty (even if he is the smoke monster).

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